Role in Life
by Anrheithwyr
Summary: Petunia doesn't have much faith in the power of faery dust and wishes.


_**Written for the 'If You Dare Challenge' by Slytherin Cat, using prompt # 695, fairy dust, except I spell it faery, so I'm changing it to prompt # 695, faery dust. Also, I'm obnoxious. **_

….

Petunia's wishes have about as much practicality as faery dust. She stopped believing in the magic of faeries years ago, and she stopped wishing as well. After all, wishes don't get her a letter to Hogwarts, do they? They don't get her parents respect and praises. Wishes don't get her a prettier face or lots of boyfriends. Wishes don't bring her sister back, and they don't take away her nephew. Wishes, for all the good they do to make tears stop and bruises fade, have no real use in Petunia's life.

….

"What do you think?" Petunia asks her sister, modelling a green dress that goes all the way to her ankles. They're shopping for a Christmas party that Mrs. Evans is making them all attend, and so far, Petunia has tried on fourteen dresses, and discarded all of them. Lily has tried on two, bought them both, and picked out several fun looking jean jackets that she might give to her friend, Marlene, who has a strange obsession with jean jackets.

Lily barely even glances up from the Rubik's cube in her hands, which she's been trying and failing to solve for ages, and it's really frustrating her. She gives Petunia an off-hand comment about her dress, "Yeah, it's good. Really pretty." She says it without even looking up, because she's bored and she wants to go home, and Petunia seems incapable of finding the proper dress anywhere.

"God, Lily. Can't you just _pay attention _for once, instead of goofing off?" Petunia demands, noticing her sister hasn't even paid the newest dress a single glance. She gets no response, and storms off back to the dressing room, grumbling about inconsiderate sisters who don't have any respect or decency. She really just wanted to have a pleasant afternoon dress shopping, but Lily's gone and ruined it all because she doesn't know how to even look for a dress. She just pulled off two tacky numbers from their hangers, said "They'll do." and bought them. And the jean jackets!

When Petunia comes back to the bench where Lily is sitting, she is unpleasantly surprised to find that the redhead is surrounded by several young boys. They are all chatting with her, obviously flirting, and Lily is just smiling. She doesn't even seem aware of what is truly going on as she asks them for advice on the Rubik's cube. Petunia scowls, marching over to the bench, but no one seems to have noticed she even arrived; they are too focused on Lily.

"Excuse me," Petunia says haughtily, but no one looks up at her, so she clears her throat several times, to no avail. Petunia knows she's not as pretty as Lily, who has stunning red hair and green eyes. Lily is tall and slender, and funny, and just _open _with people. Petunia is the _other sister_, the not pretty one, with lackluster blonde hair that refuses to do anything but sit there. She has blue eyes and she's not that tall. Petunia knows all this, and she swears she's used to it by now; yet, it still hurts, seeing these four or five boys talking to Lily, and not even giving her a second look.

"Lily," Petunia says loudly, and her sister looks up, surprised. "It's time to go. I've got my dress," She holds up the green one, which is _not _her favourite dress, but it's better than letting Lily sit here any longer, allowing boys to flirt with her. "C'mon, we've got to go, now." She tries to make her voice sound urgent and in charge, like Mum can do, but she just comes out rather whiny and high-pitched, which makes one of the boys snicker a little.

Lily smiles and nods, saying good-bye to her male acquaintances, who groan and complain; one boy asks for her number, which Lily scribbles down on a scrap of paper that he gives her. She waves bye, and they all depart. No one even seems to remember Petunia, who is still standing there, trying to ignore the water pooling in her eyes. Lily smiles at her at the head to the check-out, oblivious to everything. And Petunia, even though she knows she shouldn't, hates her sister for being so pretty.

She wishes she could look like Lily does, because Lily gets phone numbers, and Petunia gets first dates. Lily gets compliments about everything, and Petunia is told she has a nice nose. Lily is Mum and Dad's favourite, and Petunia gets to pretend like she can't see the truth. And Lily doesn't even seem to _notice_, too busy living in her own perfect little world at that stupid magic boarding school.

So, no, Petunia doesn't hold much credibility in faery dust or wishes. Her wishes have never come true; her wish to be pretty and liked. Her wish to be smart and talented. Her wish to have magic, so she could go to Hogwarts. Her wish that she could stop hating Lily so much for something she couldn't even control. None of it has ever come true, and it never will. Petunia doesn't believe in faery dust and she doesn't believe in faeries. Those are for little children who haven't grown up.

Faery dust is for children who have not yet accepted their role in life.


End file.
